Latest news – Page 1931

  • News

    'No excuse' for malnutrition in older people

    2007-03-15T00:00:00Z

    A national action plan to tackle the issue of older people and nutrition was announced today by health minister Ivan Lewis.Mr Lewis said: 'There is no excuse for vulnerable older people not receiving the food they require and the necessary help to eat that food.He said the action plan 'needs ...

  • News

    Family health initiative launched

    2007-03-15T00:00:00Z

    Public health minister Caroline Flint today launched the Healthy Living Initiative, a programme to help families lead healthier lives.The programme will tackle barriers to healthy living through a range of initiatives aimed at families with young children.Ms Flint said: 'Tackling overweight and obesity in children is complex because there are ...

  • News

    Sussex reorganisations to be examined separately as elections split consultation

    2007-03-15T00:00:00Z

    Public consultation on controversial changes to hospitals in parts of Sussex is to get under way this month - despite campaigners' objections that plans for the whole county need to be looked at together.

  • News

    100,000 lives saved from CHD, government claims

    2007-03-15T00:00:00Z

    Five heart attack survivors from across England travelled to Number 10 yesterday to demonstrate how the care they received helped to save their lives.Health secretary Patricia Hewitt said: 'The NHS has made fantastic achievements in heart services in the last 10 years, saving over 100,000 lives from coronary heart disease. ...

  • News

    PCTs struggle to support patients exercising choice

    2007-03-15T00:00:00Z

    Most primary care trusts are struggling to support patients who need help choosing a hospital, a survey by the King's Fund has found.

  • News

    Diagnostic waiting times released

    2007-03-14T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has released the waiting times for 15 key diagnostic tests carried out in the NHS.It says the data shows progress in tackling the waiting times for diagnostic tests like scans.Get the waiting times here

  • News

    BMA defends GPs over out-of-hours criticism

    2007-03-14T00:00:00Z

    The British Medical Association has said that the quality of out-of-hours services is the responsibility of the local NHS - not GPs.GP committee chair Dr Hamish Meldrum agreed with the findings of a Public Accounts Committee report on out-of-hours care, but rejected the report's assertion that GPs were the only ...

  • News

    DIY service improvement kit launched

    2007-03-14T00:00:00Z

    Doctors, nurses and call handlers will be able to assess their ability to identify emergencies, the quality of their advice and speed of response using a new clinical audit toolkit to help improve the standard of out-of-hours services.The arrangements are set out in a document published by health minister Andy ...

  • News

    Minister responds to continuing care report

    2007-03-14T00:00:00Z

    The minister for care services Ivan Lewis has responded to the report by the health service ombudsman Retrospective Continuing Care and Redress.He recognised the difficult decisions faced by families considering residential care and said the government would isssue guidance in response to the ombudsman's recommendations.Read more here

  • News

    Mental health de-stigmatising campaign launched

    2007-03-13T00:00:00Z

    A public information campaign aimed at de-stigmatising mental health and promoting suicide prevention and awareness has been launched in Northern Ireland.A TV advertisement for the campaign, part of work on suicide prevention, will be shown throughout Northern Ireland.Find out more here

  • News

    Lord Crisp heads bid to tackle health worker shortage

    2007-03-13T00:00:00Z

    A World Health Organisation international task force co-chaired by former NHS chief executive Lord Crisp met for the first time today to tackle the global shortage of health workers.The shortfall of workers worldwide is around 4.3 million in 57 countries, including 1 million in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Initial ...

  • News

    Patients fear effects of nursing shortages

    2007-03-13T00:00:00Z

    A YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing has found the public are concerned that nurse under-staffing will have a detrimental effect on patient safety.Over 70 per cent thought that if more nurses were employed standards of healthcare would improve. Ninety-three per cent felt the NHS has a ...

  • News

    A million Londoners have problems accessing mental healthcare

    2007-03-13T00:00:00Z

    Over a million Londoners have a mental health problem but access to treatment is inadequate, according to a report by the London Assembly.The report said long waiting lists, confusing referral procedures and a lack of information can make treatment and support difficult to access.Read the report here

  • News

    DoH publishes partnerships guidance

    2007-03-13T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has published guidance on the role of third sector providers in health and social care.The guidance includes case studies on how effective commissioning of the third sector can lead to a more innovative and dynamic service.Read the guidance here

  • News

    Over a million dental check-ups not being provided

    2007-03-12T00:00:00Z

    Dental contacts statistics have shown that over 1.5 million units of dental activity (each worth one check-up) have not yet been provided under the new contract.The Department of Health said the amount of dental activity commissioned by the NHS continued to rise and more have been recommissioned than were lost ...

  • News

    Review reveals shortcomings in medic recruitment

    2007-03-12T00:00:00Z

    The review into the Modernising Medical Careers recruitment and selection process for specialist training has recommended applicants should be allowed to provide CVs and portfolios to support their applications after finding shortcomings in the process.Junior doctors who fear they have had applications overlooked in the first round will have their ...

  • News

    Healthcheck consultation launched

    2007-03-12T00:00:00Z

    The Healthcare Commission is to consult on plans to drive a culture of safety through the NHS, using its annual assessments of NHS organisations to monitor rates of healthcare-acquired infection and compliance with the hygiene code.The proposals also include a stronger focus on clinical effectiveness and commissioning.Find out more here

  • News

    Commission to look at learning disabilities accusations

    2007-03-12T00:00:00Z

    The Healthcare Commission has said it will review six cases highlighted by learning disability charity Mencap of people with learning disabilities who died from physical illnesses.Mencap has accused the NHS of institutional discrimination against people with learning disabilities, saying their physical health needs are ignored.Meanwhile the Department of Health has ...

  • News

    Outcomes measures tools

    2007-03-12T00:00:00Z

    The Care Services Improvement Partnership is developing a compendium of outcomes measures tools to improve the quality of mental health care and establish best practice.

  • News

    Neil Goodwin on apologising

    2007-03-12T00:00:00Z

    The two most important words in organisational life may be 'I apologise', but saying sorry can be counterproductive unless the sentiment is backed with service delivery changes